Tech for Life

1. ANOVA SOUS-VIDE

What if you can make a tender steak dinner with minimal preparation and at a fraction of the cost of dinner at Chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry?That’s the promise of Anova’s $179 Precision Cooker. Prepare your meal in an ice bath before you leave for work, connect the sous-vide to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and you can start your cooking just as you leave the office. Add sear marks when you get home, and you’ll be treated to a fresh, flavorful meal. You can browse chef-inspired recipes on the companion smartphone app, and if your palate favors dishes that are more sweet and less savory, the Anova can also be used for desserts. anovaculinary.com

2. PARROT FLOWER POWER

Don’t know how much to water your houseplant? Parrot’s $59 Flower Power’s integrated sensors monitor your plant’s health, giving you an instant green thumb. When conditions get parched in the flower pot, you’ll be alerted to intervene with water or more fertilizer.parrot.com

3. AMAZON ECHO

Echo is more than a $179 speaker. Alexa, the digital assistant that resides inside Echo, answers to your voice. You can beckon Alexa to read the news, play your favorite music, or turn on the lights in your connected home. This versatile speaker entertains while keeping your house in order. Amazon promises future software updates will make Echo and Alexa even smarter. amazon.com

4. COIN

You can slim down your wallet without leaving behind your mileage, points, or rewards card. Coin’s $99 smart card can replace all the credit cards in your wallet. Program your credit card numbers into Coin with the iOS or Android app. When it’s time to pay, push a button on Coin to select the card you want to use and collect your points. onlycoin.com

5. VESSYL PRYME

There might not be a fountain of youth, but drinking a healthy amount of water each day may get us close. Vessyl’s $99 Pryme smart cup aims to get us to our hydration goals by tracking and reminding us of our fluid intake. Proper hydration not only leads to youthful, radiant skin, but can also ward off health problems caused by dehydration, like headaches, fatigue, and even bad breath. myvessyl.com